I’ve had the pleasure to know and support talented individuals who worked within the corporate and operations brain trust of Toyota, were guided by Toyota legends, emulated the practices of Toyota in their own companies, and/or devoted distinguished careers to studying and communicating Toyota concepts. One common denominator of continuous improvement appears in all of their work — a perpetual cycle of coaching and mentoring that over time creates a culture of problem solvers and change makers who seek to better themselves, their colleagues, and their organizations.
Although I have never worked at Toyota — or, for that matter, in manufacturing — in my own small way I have touched this intrinsic Toyota principle. In doing so, it has served me and others well.
I have a friend. I’ll call him Steve, because that’s his name. We were neighbors about a decade ago in Akron, Ohio, around the time I started homebrewing. I offered Steve an ale I’d crafted and offered some advice about brewing equipment and techniques, whether he wanted it or not. Steve started brewing, and as Steve completed a batch, I often would get to sample the tasty finished product.
These days I still brew, but usually only once a year. As of October, Steve had brewed 123 batches of beer — the equivalent of 1,000 gallons, 400 cases, or 9,600 12-ounce bottles. More important, and in keeping with the thin theme of this blog, Steve has inspired and advised more than 20 people how to brew. Many of them now brew and counsel others; one of his mentees also has brewed more than 100 batches and is a certified beer judge. Along the way, Steve has won local awards for best homebrewer of the year, competing against homebrewers who eventually went on to start popular microbreweries.
Steve has happily paid forward the knowledge I passed on to him (very little, truth be told) as well as the many insights from his own brewing endeavors and acquaintances. I can take no credit for Steve’s brewing success or that of his protégés, but I gratefully take the beers when he kindly offers them. And every time I drink one, I know that continuous improvement thrives in the Northeast Ohio homebrewing community and will carry on for years to come.
© The MPI Group 2016
